Ronaldinho was back in Rio de Janeiro last night as he played his part in the 2019 Copa America draw by unveiling the official Nike match ball of the tournament – the 'Rabisco' – a new design which will be used when the competition kicks off this summer.
Based on the same structure as the Merlin ball used in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League, the Copa America 2019 ball features a fresh aesthetic and a new title - 'Rabisco' – named after the Brazilian word 'rabisquiero' which translates to 'great skill', hence Ronaldinho's appearance.
The visual design of the 'Rabisco' takes a step away from the balls we see in Europe's top leagues by using a graffiti-style drip on the iconic Swoosh. Yellow and light blue colours bring further ties to the host nation Brazil, while the logo of the tournament also takes centre stage. As for the draw itself, the teams were split into three groups of four: Group A consisting of hosts Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru. Group B will see Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay and Qatar face each other, while Group C is made up of Uruguay, Ecuador, Japan and Chile. Yeah, Japan and Qatar.
The Copa America 2019 kicks off on 14 June in Sao Paulo and concludes on July 7 at a Rio de Janeiro final.
